International officers

All the interviews underline that communication (information) system between Univer-sity units and Student Union and between students and Student Union is well organized (But there is no direct connection between Student Union and professors only through subject student organizations). The communication is conducted in the following way.

Subject organizations (includes representatives from student union) discuss with profes-sors schedule, trips and so on. Student Union is open for discussion. They have a com-plain week “we try to gather comcom-plains, what’s wrong with University, Student Union, but it’s really difficult, because people don’t have a clear picture what the function of Student Union is, what we do” (board- member of a student union member 4). The in-formation system is organized very well. It includes mail list, Facebook pages, Univer-sity pages, meetings etc. “They (students) come to our events its’ main feedback from them, at the end of the trips, we ask student to write something, they write on Facebook page” (ESN, member 1).

5.6. International officers

Four international officers have been interviewed.

The interviewees say that extracurricular activities are useful, because: it develops the personality (exchange), it creates network of contacts that remains with the student after graduation (membership in the students‟ organizations), it is good practice (membership in the students‟ organizations), “extracurricular activities influence their [students’]

studies in hundreds positive ways” (international officer 1).

The International Studies Coordinator says that exchange period influences positively studies.

“It’s possible for you as an exchange student to do a minor from a field of that is not taught in University of Vaasa… A student….may have a new kind of pros-pective to your studies, for example studying marketing in a different country will provide you with different twist, with the different prospective to it.” “A lot of students when they come back they have a topic to their thesis.” “Students learn new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking new ways of writing, which helps for example with the thesis process.”

The following skills, competences and personal qualities are developed by extracurricu-lar activities (in opinion of interviewees). Membership in the students‟ organizations forms organizational skills, communication skills, coordination skills, negotiating skills language skills. Participating in the exchange program gives opportunity to improve language skills, multicultural skills, stress management skills, adaptation skills, theoret-ical and analyttheoret-ical skills. “You might become more open and strong” and more self-confident person. (International officer 1)

Extracurricular activities develop

“all that skills that companies appreciate nowadays” (international officer 1) “If you Think about working life nowadays, what you need in the working life no-wadays, the skills that you can communicate with people from different back-grounds, communicate in different languages, so it’s also important for Finnish students here” (international officer 2).

The skills and competences that are demanded to become the students‟ organizations are personal activity and ability to take initiative.

All the interviews underline that communication (information) system between Univer-sity units and Student Union and between students and UniverUniver-sity units is well orga-nized. It includes university web-site, meetings, and periodical info sessions.

The university web-site is a very important so

“I place info in student portal and then I ask, so I contact Student Union and ask them to send -mails to the students. I am not allowed to contact the students di-rectly. We cannot send e-mails to the students. We communicate with students through the info mail list, because it’s organized by International Office. It’s

on-ly for international degree students. Student Union has a mail list that reaches everybody, but we’ve been told that it’s not for us. It’s only for emergencies. So I ask Student Union to distribute info a mail list. I rely on good will of students’

organizations. Or I sent info to the Faculties, and then the faculties may have their own lists of student majoring in that subject so they send it to that list.” (In-ternational officer 1.) “We receive internships from our National Agency and put them into portal. Organizations send it to our National Agency (CIMO) , CIMO has an e- mail list of all the universities and polytechnics of Finland, and then they send offers and tell “please publish this for your students”. If our partner universities have places in their International offices or libraries, they send us that, “please, district this offer among your students and then we put it into the portal.” (International officer 1.)

Meetings occur very often.

“Sometimes they [students’ organizations] ask me to come to their events to talk about studies, and then I have, for example, when I have return orientation, I ask some of the students’ organizations dealing with internalization at home to come and present themselves…..I would try to organize it [info session] several times in different days so if lecture going on, students, who have a lecture on that time, so info session will be organized next day on that time. So they don’t have to skip a lecture, so they have some kind of decision.”(International officer 1.)

University information system is very helpful.

“When you are reserving room the teacher and professors reserve the room first. When I started organizing my events, the first thing I usually do, I look at which lecture halls are available and what time, so from that I see, because big lecture halls are already taken, I have to see when big lecture halls are open.

That’s the time for me to decide “ok then at that time and place I have info- ses-sion”… so I see from the system… that way I can communicate.”(International officer 1.)

Most of the interviewees (3 out of 4) consider that international students are active, but the activity is aimed at studies and future career (exchange, internship) than on student life.

“University of Vaasa is quite active. Last calendar year (2012) we sent 211. It’s one third of the intake. We take in every year 600 students. There are 400 gra-duates every year. That a good number I think. We don’t have so many interna-tional students yet. We every year have roughly 230 internainterna-tional degree stu-dents, about 10 goes [to the exchange]. Compare to other Universities it’s a good way to show us well….Internships are quite different, because we don’t have ready-made places for Internships. In Internships students need to find their own position, in whose cases the ratio of international Degree students is, I could even argue, that it’s 50/50 with the Finns. So regarding Erasmus

intern-ships international students are ……… along the same lines with Finnish stu-dents are. “(International officer 1.)

International students can be more active in the exchange and internship programs, but there are some obstacles to that: time restriction and financial matters.

“The main reason [international Degree students do not participate in the ex-change program] is because they are here for two years to finish the program.

Exchange has to be included into these two years. There are a lot of students, who come and ask about it, but when the exchange would not be possible go to their third year in that case it’s not possible. If the students start their studies in September, and if they want to go on an exchange, they would need to apply already in November or January, so quite soon after they have started their stu-dies. So a lot of Students miss this deadline. So I think it’s one of the main rea-sons. …. In some note it should be financial matters as well. Because exchange is something that costs a lot of money, especially if you go outside the Eu-rope…” (International officer 1)

Most of the interviewees (3 out of 4) consider that international students can be more active in the students‟ organization, but there are some obstacles to that. The level of internalization of students‟ organizations is not that high. “I am not sure they have enough opportunities to take part in all the activities. I don’t think that Student Union understands how many international students we do have here already.” (International officer 2). A language problem is another problem. Also “communication channel be-tween students’ organizations and students are missing” (international officer 2). Nev-ertheless the interviews say that Student Union is doing its‟ best, and Internalization of student organizations shows positive dynamic.

All the interviews underline that Student Union is an independent organization and eva-luate this fact positively.

“We can give them (Student Union) suggestion how to treat the students and tell them that we are international and so on. But we cannot really influence what they do. Neither can we influence these associations, like Warrantti, we only can contact them and recommend” (International officer 2). “Student Union is our partner in many ways, we with different clubs (Student Degree Club), and sub-ject organizations….. Annually we have an agreement on the international tutor-ing with Student Union; we pay for the Student Union to take care of interna-tional students. We have two students’ coordinators at Student Union. We

dis-cuss functioning of the Erasmus Students Network and Student Degree Club.”

(International officer 4).

All the interviews underline that students can influence the management of University and evaluate this fact positively.

“The Student Union sends representatives to the University bodies… There are different groups (wellbeing, equality….): some are functioning all the time, some are created to do a project. There are always students’ representatives. Stu-dents can apply for these positions” (International officer 2).